Four people suspected of preparing an assassination attempt on Russian oppositionist Vladimir Osechkin were detained in France.
According to French media, employees of the General Directorate of Internal Security of the French Ministry of Internal Affairs (DGSI) detained four suspects of preparing an assassination attempt on October 13.
It is reported that the arrests were carried out in the Parisian department of the Loire-Atlantique as part of investigation into the case of “creating a terrorist organization with the aim of preparing a crime against one or more persons.”
The suspects – citizens of France and Russia aged 26 to 38 years – during interrogations stated that they did not know the person who gave them orders.
According to the suspects, they were misled and came to the city of Biarritz, their place of residence Osechkin, for tourist purposes.
The day before, all four were handed over to the National Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Terrorism of France and subsequently taken into custody.
As part of the investigation, which began on September 19, investigators established that the suspects had repeatedly visited the Biarritz area, where Osechkin lives.
In addition, on On the phone of one of them, an image was found with a map of the building in which his apartment is located.
According to the DGSI, these actions “most likely were reconnaissance missions in preparation for an assassination attempt organized by Russian intelligence services.”